Mounting arrangement for electrical plug-in components

ABSTRACT

An arrangement for supporting electrical plug-in components which includes a mounting member defining an opening through which extend the opposed flexible walls of an attaching unit having a bottom portion which carries one component to be secured, this component having abutments to engage the undersurface of the mounting member, while tabs on the opposed walls engage the upper surface of the mounting member, the other component fitting between the opposed walls and having a springloaded, manually-operable, rotatable latching arrangement engaging the ends of the opposed walls to hold the other component in place.

United States Patent Dugan et al.

[ 51 Feb. 5, 1974 MOUNTING ARRANGEMENT FOR ELECTRICAL PLUG-IN COMPONENTSInventors: Alanson G. Dugan, East Norwich;

John Lockyer, Smithtown, both of NY.

Deutach Relays, Inc., East Northport, N.Y.

Filed: Feb. 14, 1972 Appl. No; 225,957

Assignee:

U.S. Cl. 339/88 R, 339/113 R, 339/128, 339/192 RL Int. Cl. H011 13/54,H02b 1/02 Field of Search 248/27; 339/75, 88, 91, 119 R,339/121,125,126,128,192 RL References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 6/1972Baker et a1 339/59 M 3/1972 Sadogievski et aI. 339/126 R 8/1964 Woofteret a1 339/128 X 1/1959 Sauer 339/75 T FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS1,466,868 12/1966 France 339/121 1,196,099 6/1970 Great Britain.1,008,378 5/1957 Germany 339/75 R Primary ExaminerMarvin A. ChampionAssistant Examiner-Lawrence J. Staab [57] ABSTRACT An arrangement forsupporting electrical plug-in components which includes a mountingmember defining an opening through which extend the opposed flexiblewalls of an attaching unit having a bottom portion which carries onecomponent to be secured, this component having abutments to engage theundersurface of the mounting member, while tabs on the opposed wallsengage the upper surface of the mounting member, the other componentfitting between the opposed walls and having a spring-loaded,manually-operable, rotatable latching arrangement engaging the ends ofthe opposed walls to hold the other component in place.

15 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures MOUNTING ARRANGEMENT FOR ELECTRICAL PLUG-INCOMPONENTS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention Thisinvention relates to a mounting arrangement for electrical plug-incomponents, such as relays and sockets.

2. Description of Prior Art In aircraft and other locations, it becomesnecessary to mount a number of plug-in components, such as re lays, on asupport, such as a chassis or track, where they engage mating sockets.conventionally, this is accomplished through the use of studs and nuts.Several difficulties are encountered through the use of such mountingarrangements. Space is severely limited within an aircraft, whichrestricts the access to the securing means. Expensive special toolsfrequently are necessary to allow installation and removal of therelays. Even so, crowded spacing may prohibit individual relay removal.For field maintenance, such special tools may not be available whenremoval and replacement becomes necessary. Working with tools within thelimited space available can result in damage to the relays or sockets.This may be in the form of latent de fects which do not become apparentuntil the aircraft is in service and which, therefore, can have seriousconsequences. Even under the best circumstances, the stud and nutconnections for the plug-in components are laborious and time consuming,both for installation and disassembly. The threaded connections also aresubject to possible loosening under vibrational loads and, in someinstances, the nuts may not be properly tightened when the installationis made.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides an improvedmeans for mounting plug-in components on a chassis in an aircraft orother location, avoiding the use of tools, while permitting a secureconnection to be rapidly and easily effected. correspondingly, thecomponents being secured are protected from damage.

The device of this invention includes an attaching unit which is made upof identical sheet metal components welded together. These define arectangular lower portion into which the socket fits above inwardly bentlower flanges. Spring arms on the walls of the lower portion of theattaching unit engage shoulders on the socket to support the socket. Twoopposed walls project upwardly from the rectangular lower portion of theattaching unit, each including a flexible lower portion and a relativelyrigid upper part. Outwardly bent tabs are included on the lower portionsof these opposed walls, while bayonet slots are formed in the upper endsof the walls. With the socket in place, the attaching unit is insertedfrom the bottom through an opening in the track or chassis, which causesthe flexible lower opposed walls to be bent inwardly as the tabs passthe edges of the opening. Beyond the opening, the tabs snap into placeover the surface of the track. The socket includes outwardly projectingflanges which engage the undersurface of the track to cooperate with thetabs in holding the unit in place.

A rotatable spring-loaded latching mechanism is secured to the upperwall of the relay. This includes a post on which is a knob that can moveboth rotationally and axially relative to the post. A spring biases theknob outwardly, while a stop limits its movement. Bayonet pins on theknob are adapted to enter bayonet slots in the upper ends of the opposedwalls.

The relay is installed simply by moving it downwardly between theopposed walls of the attaching device so that the pin contacts on therelay can enter the openings in the socket to engage the matingcontacts. The knob is rotated to cause the bayonet pins to enter thebayonet slots at the ends of the opposed walls, while the springmaintains the pins at the recessed inner ends of the bayonet slots.Accordingly, the installation requires no tools and is very rapidlyaccomplished.

A cross slot in the end of the knob, which may be painted a contrastingcolor, gives a positive indication of the rotational position of thebayonet pins and, hence, whether or not the latch is properly engaged.The knob is limited in its axial travel and will not allow the pins toenter the bayonet slots unless the relay is fully mated with the socket.This assures electrical and environmental sealing integrity, and avoidsmismatch of parts. When the relay is secured in the unit, the opposedwalls cannot be flexed inwardly sufficiently to free the tabs from thetrack. Consequently, there is a positive interlock when the relay issecured. For removal of the relay, the knob merely is rotated a fewdegrees to free the bayonet pins from the bayonet slots, the knob thenbeing employed to pull the relay away from the socket, again without theuse of tools. The knob is undercut, so that it is easily gripped forremoving the relay. With the relay removed, the lower parts of the wallsof the attaching unit may be flexed inwardly to free the tabs and allowdisassembly.

The arrangement of this invention permits the relays or other plug-incomponents to be mounted very closely in a matrix, while still allowingeasy installation and removal without the need of tools. The attachmentis quite secure and not vulnerable to vibrational loads or otherenvironmental conditions. There are no loose or detachable parts. Therelay and socket also may be assembled independently of the chassis forinspection when required.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERREDEMBODIMENT I The arrangement of this invention includes an attachmentassembly 10, which is used in securing a relay 11 and an associatedsocket 12 in a track 13. The latter unit typically is mounted in anaircraft. Ordinarily, a single track will mount a number of relaysthroughout its length, but for clarity only one relay is illustrated anddescribed.

The attaching assembly 10 is made up of two identical resilient sheetmetal parts 15 and 16, each of which is U-shaped in plan. Each of theseparts includes an end wall 17 having an inwardly bent flange 18 alongits lower edge. The opposite wall 19 is connected to the wall 17 by anintermediate wall 20, which is perpendicular to the two walls 17 and 19.The wall 19 is much higher than the walls 17 and 20, extending wellbeyond the upper edges of the latter two walls. Intermediate the ends ofthe wall 19 is an elongated opening 21. A shot, laterally inwardlyinclined section 22 causes the upper portion 23 of the wall 19 to beparallel to, but inwardly of, the lower part 24 of the wall 19.Longitudinally of the upper section 23 is a reinforcing rib 25 forincreased rigidity. A bayonet slot 26, having an inner recess 27,extends inwardly from the edge 28 of the upper section 23 which isadjacent the central member 20.

Below the inclined section 22, there are two laterally outwardly benttabs 29 at the opposite edges of the lower wall portion 24. The tabs 29include downwardly inclined portions 30 that terminate in horizontalbottom edges 31, which are used as abutments.

The wall of the intermediate section 20 is provided with a cutout 33which results in a spring arm 34 along the upper part of the section 20.The distal end 35 of the spring arm 34 extends upwardly beyond the upperedges 36 of the remainder of the section 20 and is outwardly bent.

The members 15 and 16 are spot-welded together to provide a unitaryassembly. The welds are accomplished where the wall 17 of the member 16overlies the wall 19 of the member 15, and where the wall 17 of themember 15 extends over the wall 19 of the member 16. When so assembled,the lower part of the unit defines a rectangular space bounded by thewalls 19 and 20, with opposed flanges 18 extending inwardly at thebottom end. The bayonet slots 26 of the two members and 16 face inopposite directions at the upper end of the unit.

The operative parts of the relay 11 are contained within a housing orcan 37 to the upper surface 38 of which is brazed a plate 39 from whicha post 40 extends upwardly (see FIG. 5). The post 40, which has acylindrical exterior, is received within a complementary opening 41 in aknob 42.-A pin 43 extends diametrically through the post 40 and projectsoutwardly beyond it on either side. The pin 43 is received within arectangular opening 44 in the knob 42, which has its I axisperpendicular to that of the opening 41. The opening 44 is wider thanthe pin 43 so that limited angular movement of the knob 42 is permittedrelative to the post 40. The opening 44 also is elongated in thevertical direction so that the knob 42 may move axially relative to thepost 40. A compression spring 45 is received in the upper end of theopening 41, one end of the spring bearing against the knob 42 at the endof the opening 41, while the other end of the spring engages the end ofthe post 40. This biases the knob 42 normally to an upward position withrespect to the post 40 and, hence, relative to the relay 1].

The knob 42 includes an upper part 47 having a knurled circumferentialsurface and a transverse slot 48. Beneath the upper part 47, the section49 of the knob is of reduced diameter, while the lower portion 50 hasthe same diameter as the upper part 47. Thus, the knob can convenientlybe gripped and moved rotationally or axially by virtue of the knurledexterior surface at the upper portion and the reduced diameter at theportion 49.

Two elongated pins 52 and 53 project outwardly from the lower section ofthe knob 42 perpendicularly to its axis. The pins 52 and 53 also areperpendicular to the axis of the opening 44 that receives the pins 43 ofthe post 40.

At the lower surface of the relay 11 is a resilient rubber gasket 55through which extend electrical pin contacts 56. These contacts areadapted to enter socket contacts 57 held within openings 58 in thesocket 12 by suitable means, such as retention clips 59. Wires 60 extend through openings in a sealing grommet 61 to engage the contacts 57.Consequently, in the assembled position, the wires 60, through thecontacts 57, are electrically connected to the pins 56 of the relay 11.The upper portion of the socket 12 is wider than the lower, resulting indownwardly facing shoulders 62 and 63 along the two opposite sides 64and 65 of the socket. When the socket 12 is positioned in the attachingunit 10, the shoulders 62 and 63 engage the ends 35 of the spring arms34 formed on the walls 20 of the unit 10. Accordingly, the socket 12 issupported by the spring arms 34. In addition, the lower surface of thegrommet 61 overlaps the flanges 18 at the bottom edges of the walls 17,so that there is positive retention of the socket.

At the upper part of the socket 12 is a pair of short parallel flanges67 projecting outwardlyfrom one end of the socket, with similar flanges68 projecting outwardly from the opposite end. The outer side surfacesof the flanges 67 and 68 are flush with and form continuations of theupper parts of the opposite sides 64 and 65 of the socket 12. Betweenthe flanges 67, the end surface 69 of the socket is recessed, and,intermediate the flanges 68, the end wall 70 of the socket 12 similarlyis recessed. The central upper end wall portions 71 and 72, however, arenot recessed, extending outwardly the same distance as the flanges 67and 68.

When the socket 12 is assembled with the unit 10, the walls 19 arereceived between the flanges 67 and 68. These flanges project outwardlybeyond the plane of the lower portion 24 of the wall 19 (see FIG. 4).The intermediate upper end portions 71 and 72 fit in the openings 21 inthe walls 19.

The attaching unit 10 is connected to the track 13, with the socket 12in place, by moving it upwardly through the rectangular opening 73 inthe upper wall 74 of the track. The upper portions 23 of the walls 19are closer together than the spacing between the side edges 75 and 76 ofthe opening 73, which facilitates entry of the unit 10 into the openingin the track. As the attaching unit 10 is moved upwardly through theopening 73, the downwardly inclined upper surfaces 30 of the tabs 29engage the side edges 75 and 76 of the opening. This deflects the walls19 inwardly, movement which is permitted because of the recessedconfiguration of the adjacent walls 69 and 70 of the socket 12. Theopenings 21 in the lower portions 24 of the walls 19 enhance theflexibility of these parts of the walls 19 and facilitate the movementof the unit 10 into the opening 73. After the bottom edges 31 of thetabs 29 have reached the upper surface of the wall 74 of the track 13,the walls 19 straighten out and the tabs 29 snap in place above the wall74. The spacing between the outer surfaces of the lower portions 24 ofthe walls 19 is substantially the sameas that between the edges 75 and76 of the opening 73, which assures engagement of the lower edges 31 'ofthe'tabs with the wall 74.

The outer edges of the socket flanges 67 and 68, as well as the centralend wall portions 71 and 72, are spaced apart substantially the samedistance as that between the parallel depending rails 77 and 78 of thetrack 13. Consequently, when the attaching unit is moved upwardly intoposition, the flanges 67 and 68 and the end wall portions 71 and 72 fitsnugly between the rails 77 and 78 and position the socket firmlyagainst lateral movement.

The outer edges of the flanges 67 and 68, and the upper central end wallportions 71 and 72, also fit be neath the wall 74 of the rack 13outwardly of the side edges 75 and 76 of the opening 73. This preventsupward movement of the socket l2, and hence the unit 10, relative to thetrack 13. Accordingly, the flanges 67 and 68 and the end wall portions71 and 72 cooperate with the tabs 29 in holding the socket and attachingunit 10 against vertical movement.

The relay 11 then is attached to the socket 12, completing the assembly.This is accomplished merely by moving the relay downwardly between thewalls 19 so that the depending contact pins 56 can enter the openings 58to engage the socket contacts 57. ln order for the relay to be moveddownwardly in this manner, the knob 42 is rotated sufficiently to causethe bayonet pins 52 and 53 to pass by the edges 28 at the upper ends ofthe walls 19. When the relay is fully mated with the socket 12, the knob42 is rotated back to position the pins 52 and 53 transversely relativeto the relay, causing the pins 52 and 53 to enter the bayonet slots 26.The compression spring 45 then biases the knob 42 upwardly so that thepins 52 and 53 are held in the inner recessed portions 27 of the bayonetslots 26, and the unit is fully secured in place. The reinforcing ribs25 help maintain the upper wall portions 23 in the proper position toaccept the pins 52 and 53 in the bayonet slots 26. Installation is veryrapidly and easily accomplished in this manner, and does not require theuse of tools.

The spring arms 34, which flex in the direction of the planes of thewall 20, hold the upper surface 79 of the socket l2 firmly against thegasket 55 of the relay 11. This assures that the socket 12 will never beloose in its mounting, and will always tightly engage the gasket 55,irrespective of tolerance conditions. The environmental seal between therelayand socket is preserved, and there are no loose parts in theassembly. With the spring arms 34 flexing in the planes of the walls 20,the spring arms can exert considerable force, yet they are compact andsimple to form.

Once the relay 11 is within the unit 10, the latter cannot be removedfrom the track 13 because the walls 19 cannot be deflected inwardlysufficiently to cause the tabs 29 to clear the edges 75 and 76 of theopening 73 in the track. This is because the relay housing 37 fitsclosely between the walls 19 and prevents such movement. Thus. there isa positive locking of the unit to the track. Nevertheless. disassemblyis readily effected merely by pushing downwardly on the knob 42 and thenrotating it a few degrees to cause the pins.52 and 53 to leave thebayonet slots 26. The relay then may be pulled upwardly to disengage thesocket and to become free of the attaching unit 10. The knob 42,positioned at the upper end of the assembly, is easily grasped andpulled to remove the relay, even where the relay is closely crowded inwith other elements. The pin 43 engages the knob at the lower end of theopening 44 to hold the knob to the relay when the knob is used to re-.

move the relay. Squeezing the walls 19 toward each other, followingremoval of the relay, will free the tabs from the upper wall 74 of thetrack 13 and allow the attaching unit to be moved downwardly andoutwardly of the opening 73.

A positive indication of whether or not the relay is properly engagedwith the socket 12 is afforded by the cross slot 48 in the knob 42. Theparts are proportioned such that the pins 52 and 53 cannot enter thebayonet slots 26 until the relay 11 is moved to its fully mated positionwith the socket 12. The bottom surface of the knob 42 will engage theplate 39 on the relay 11 to stop the downward movement of the knobbefore the bayonet pins 52 and 53 have reached the entrances to thebayonet slots 26 if the relay has not been shifted downwardly asufficient distance to mate properly with the socket 12. With furtherdownward movement of the knob 42 being blocked, the bayonet pins 52 and53 are prevented from entering the bayonet slots 26.

Observing the slot 48 in the transverse position is an indication,therefore, that the relay is properly installed. Conversely, if the slot48 is at an angle and not transverse to the track 13, it is known thatthe latch mechanism has not engaged and the relay is not properlyinstalled. The position of the slot 48 is readily discerned because itis at the outer end of the unit where it is most easily seen. Thebayonet pins 52 and 53 also are at the upper end and visible when theunit is inspected. In addition to being a position indicator, the slot48 can be engaged by a screwdriver if it is desired to rotate the knob42 in that manner.

I claim:

1. A device for releasably retaining a duality of plugin components in amated position comprising a first member defining an opening,

and a retainer unit, said retainer unit including a first portion on oneside of said first member adjacent said opening, said first portionincluding resilient means for biasing a first electrical componenttoward said opening for holding said first electrical compo nentadjacent said opening,

and a duality of elements extending through said opening, said elementshaving outer ends spaced outwardly from the opposite side of said firstmember, said outer ends including recess means engageable by a lockingmember on a second electrical component for holding said secondelectrical component, said elements including abutments overlapping saidfirst member adjacent said opposite side for bolding said retainer unitagainst movement in one direction relative to said first member, saidelements being defiectable adjacent said abutments for permittingmovement of said abutments inwardly and the separation of said retainerunit from said first member by relative movement in said one direction.1 2. In combination with a first electrical component mateable with asecond electrical component, a mounting arrangement for holding saidfirst and second components in a mated condition comprising a firstmeans defining an opening, a retainer unit, said retainer unit includingopposed elements extending through said opening, abutment means on saidelements engageable with said first means at one end portion of saidopening, said first electrical component having an abutment meansengageable with said first means at the opposite end portion of saidopening for cooperating with said first-mentioned abutment means inholding said retainer unit to said first means, said retainer unitincluding resilient means engaging said first electrical component forbiasing said first electrical component such that said abutment meansthereof is so engageable with said first means, said second electricalcomponent being in a position where it is mated with said firstelectrical component, and releasable means interconnecting said secondelectrical component and said elements outwardly of said one end portionof said opening for holding said second electrical component in saidposition.

3. A device as recited in claim 2 in which said elements are deflectablefor freeing said abutment means thereof from said first means at saidone end portion of said opening for permitting removal of said retainerunit.

4. A device as recited in claim 3 in which said second electricalcomponent includes means preventing deflection of said elements forpreventing removal of said retainer unit from said first means whilesaid second electrical component is so held in said position, and forpermitting said removal of said retainer unit when said secondelectrical component is released from said releasable means and isremote from said position.

5. In combination with a relay and a socket mateable with said relay, amounting device for holding said relay and socket in a mated conditioncomprising support means,

said support means defining an opening, a retainer unit,

said retainer unit including opposed walls extending through saidopening,

each of said walls including an abutment overlapping said support meansadjacent one end of said opening,

said opposed walls being deflectable inwardly at said abutments to causesaid abutments to be moved away from said support means for permittingseparation of said retainer unit from said support means,

said retainer unit including means for holding said socket adjacent theopposite end of said opening and preventing said socket from movingoutwardly relative to said support means,

saidsocket including abutment means engageable with said support meansadajcent said opposite end of said opening,

said abutment means of said socket including oppositely extendingflanges projecting outwardly from the end surfaces of said socket,

said flanges of said socket including a first pair of flanges positiondone on either side of one of said walls and projecting outwardlytherefrom, and a second pair of flanges positioned one on either side ofthe other of said opposed walls and projecting outwardly therefrom, forcooperating with said abutments of said walls for positioning saidsocket and retainer unit against substantial movement relative to saidsupport means, said relay being positioned between said opposed wallsadjacent said one end of said opening, and releasable meansinterconnecting said relay and said opposed walls for holding said relayin said position thereof.

6. ln combination with a first electrical component mateable with asecond electrical component, a mounting arrangement for holding saidfirst and second components in a mated condition comprising a firstmeans defining an opening,

a retainer unit, said retainer unit including opposed elements extendingthrough said opening, abutment means on said elements engageable withsaid first means at one end portion of said opening, said firstelectrical component having an abutment means engageable with said firstmeans at the opposte end portion of said opening for cooperating withsaid first-mentioned abutment means in holding said retainer unit tosaid first means, said retainer unit including means holding said firstelectrical component such that said abutment means thereof is soenageable with said first means, said second electrical component beingin a position where it is mated with said first electrical component,

releasable means interconnecting said second electrical component andsaid elements outwardly of said one end portion of said opening forholding said second electrical component in said position,

and means for preventing said releasable means from so interconnectingsaid second electrical compo nent and said elements when said secondelectrical component is not in said position thereof.

7. In combination with a relay and a socket mateable with said relay, amounting device for holding said relay and socket in a mated conditioncomprising support means,

said support means defining an opening,

a retainer unit,

said retainer unit including opposed walls extending through saidopening, each of said walls including an abutment overlapping saidsupport means adjacent one end of said opening, said opposed walls beingdeflectable inwardly at said abutments to cause said abutments to bemoved away from said support means for permitting separation of saidretainer unitfrom said support means, said retainer unit including meansfor holding said socket adjacent the opposite end of said opening andpreventing said socket from moving outwardly relative to said supportmeans, said socket including abutment means engageable with said supportmeans adjacent said opposite end of said opening, thereby cooperatingwith said abutments of said walls for positioning said socket andretainer unit against substantial movement relative to said supportmeans, said relay being positioned between said opposed walls adjacentsaid one end of said opening, releasable means interconnecting saidrelay and said opposed walls for holding said relay in said positionthereof,

and stop means for permitting said releasable means to so interconnectsaid relay and said opposed walls only upon a predeterminedinterengagement of said relay and said socket.

8. In combination with a relay and a socket mateable with said relay, amounting device for holding said relay and socket in a mated conditioncomprising support means,

said support means defining an opening, a retainer unit,

said retainer unit including opposed walls extending through saidopening, each of said walls including an abutment overlapping saidsupport means adjacent one end of said opening, said opposed walls beingdeflectable inwardly at said abutment to cause said abutments to bemoved away from said support means for permitting separation of saidretainer unit from said support means, said retainer unit includingmeans for holding said socket adjacent the opposite end of said openingand preventing said socket from mov ing outwardly relative to saidsupport means, said socket including abutment means engageable with saidsupport means adjacent said opposite end of said opening,

thereby cooperating with said abutments of said walls for positioningsaid socket and retainer unit against substantial movement relative tosaid support means, said relay being positioned between said opposedwalls adjacent said one end of said opening, releasable meansinterconnecting said relay and said opposed walls for holding said relayin said position thereof,

and indicia on said releasable means for indicating when said releasablemeans is in the engaged position interconnecting said relay and saidopposed walls, and when said releasable means is in the releasedposition in which said relay is not connected to said opposed walls.

9. In combination with a relay and a socket mateable with said relay, amounting device for holding said relay and socket in a mated conditioncomprising support means,

said support means defining an opening, a retainer unit,

said retainer unit including opposed walls extending through saidopening, each of said walls including an abutment overlapping saidsupport means adjacent one end of said opening, said opposed walls beingdeflectable inwardly at said abutments to cause said abutments to bemoved away from said support means for permitting separation of saidretainer unit from said support means, said retainer unit includingmeans for holding said socket adjacent the opposite end of said openingand preventing said socket from moving outwardly relative to saidsupport means, said socket including abutment means engageable with saidsupport means adjacent said opposite end of said opening, therebycooperating with said abutments of said walls for positioning saidsocket and retainer unit against substantial movement relative to saidsupport means,

said relay being positioned between said opposed walls adjacent said oneend of said opening, and

releasable means interconnecting said relay and said opposed walls forholding said. relay in said position thereof,

said releasable means including slot means in said walls outwardly ofsaidsupport means,

pin means carried by said relay and engageable with said slot means,

and resilient means biasing said pin means toward a position in whichsaid pin means is retained in said slot means,

said pin means being manually movable in opposition to said resilientmeans for releasing said pin means from said slot means.

10. A device as recited in claim 9 in which said slot means includes 1means defining a bayonet slot in each of said opposed walls, saidbayonet slots facing in opposite directions,

said pin means includes a rotatable member, and a bayonet pin extendingoutwardly in either of two opposite directions from said rotatablemember, said bayonet pins being engageable with said opposed walls insaid bayonet slots, said rotatable member being rotatable to a positionin which said bayonet pins are remote from said bayonet slots forthereby releasing said relay,

and said resilient means includes a compression spring biasing saidrotatable member in one di rection for holding said bayonet pins in saidbayonet slots.

11. A device as recited in claim 10 in which said rotatable member ismovable axially for permitting said bayonet pins to so engage saidopposed walls at said bayonet slots,

said rotatable member being so movable axially through a limited strokesuch that said bayonet pins can enter said bayonet slots only upon apredetermined interengagement of said relay and said socket.

12. In combination with a relay and a socket mateable with said relay, amounting device for holding said relay and socket in a mated conditioncomprising support means,

said support means defining an opening, a retainer unit,

said retainer unit including opposed walls extending throughsaidvopening, each of said walls including an abutment overlapping saidsupport means adjacent one end of said opening,

said opposed walls being deflectable inwardly at said abutments to causesaid abutments to be moved away from said support means for per--mitting separation of said retainer unit from said socket includingabutment means engageable with said support means adjacent said oppositeend of said opening, thereby cooperating with said abutments of saidwalls for positioning said socket and retainer unit against substantialmovement relative to said support means,

' said socket having walls adjacent said opposed walls, said socketwalls being spaced from said opposed walls for permitting said opposedwalls to be moved inwardly a sufficient distance to allow said abutmentsof said opposed walls to pass through said opening for permitting saidre tainer unit to be attached to and released from said support means,

said relay being positioned between said opposed walls adjacent said oneend of said opening, and releasable means interconnecting said relay andsaid opposed walls for holding said relay in said position thereof.

13. In combination with a relay and a socket mateable with said relay, amounting device for holding said relay and socket in a mated conditioncomprising support means,

said support means defining an opening, a retainer unit,

said retainer unit including opposed walls extending through saidopening, each of said walls including an abutment overlapping saidsupport means adjacent one end of said opening,

said opposed walls being deflectable inwardly at said abutments to causesaid abutments to be moved away from said support means for permittingseparation of said retainer unit from said support means,

said retainer unit including means for holding said socket adjacent theopposite end of said opening and preventing said socket from movingoutwardly relative to said support means, said socket including abutmentmeans engageable with said support means adjacent said opposite end ofsaid opening, thereby cooperating with said abutments of said walls forpositioning said socket and retainer unit against substantial movementrelative to said support means, said relay being positioned between saidopposed walls adjacent said one end of said opening, releasable meansinterconnecting said relay and said opposed walls for holding said relayin said position thereof, and resilient means on said retainer unitengaging said socket and biasing said socket toward said support meansat said opposite end of said opening for holding said socket againstsaid relay.

14. A device as recited in claim 13 in which said retainer unit includesa duality of additional opposed walls,

said socket includes a shoulder adjacent each of said additional opposedwalls, and in which said resilient means includes a spring memberintegral with each of said additional opposed walls,

each of said spring members engaging one of said shoulders of saidsocket.

15. A device as recited in claim 14 in which each of said additionalwalls is of sheet metal, said spring members being formed from saidadditional opposed walls, and deflectable in the principal planes ofsaid additional opposed walls.

mg? UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,790, 915 Dated February 5, 1974 Invent0r($) Alanson'G. Dugan and JohnLockyer It is certified that error appears in the above-identifiedpatent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

In the designation of the assignee, "Deucach' should read --Deutsch-.

Signed and sealed this 17th day of Segtember 1974.

,(SEAL) Attest:

McCOY M. GIBSON JR. C. MARSHALL DANN Attesting Officer Commissioner ofPatents

1. A device for releasabLy retaining a duality of plug-in components ina mated position comprising a first member defining an opening, and aretainer unit, said retainer unit including a first portion on one sideof said first member adjacent said opening, said first portion includingresilient means for biasing a first electrical component toward saidopening for holding said first electrical component adjacent saidopening, and a duality of elements extending through said opening, saidelements having outer ends spaced outwardly from the opposite side ofsaid first member, said outer ends including recess means engageable bya locking member on a second electrical component for holding saidsecond electrical component, said elements including abutmentsoverlapping said first member adjacent said opposite side for holdingsaid retainer unit against movement in one direction relative to saidfirst member, said elements being deflectable adjacent said abutmentsfor permitting movement of said abutments inwardly and the separation ofsaid retainer unit from said first member by relative movement in saidone direction.
 2. In combination with a first electrical componentmateable with a second electrical component, a mounting arrangement forholding said first and second components in a mated condition comprisinga first means defining an opening, a retainer unit, said retainer unitincluding opposed elements extending through said opening, abutmentmeans on said elements engageable with said first means at one endportion of said opening, said first electrical component having anabutment means engageable with said first means at the opposite endportion of said opening for cooperating with said first-mentionedabutment means in holding said retainer unit to said first means, saidretainer unit including resilient means engaging said first electricalcomponent for biasing said first electrical component such that saidabutment means thereof is so engageable with said first means, saidsecond electrical component being in a position where it is mated withsaid first electrical component, and releasable means interconnectingsaid second electrical component and said elements outwardly of said oneend portion of said opening for holding said second electrical componentin said position.
 3. A device as recited in claim 2 in which saidelements are deflectable for freeing said abutment means thereof fromsaid first means at said one end portion of said opening for permittingremoval of said retainer unit.
 4. A device as recited in claim 3 inwhich said second electrical component includes means preventingdeflection of said elements for preventing removal of said retainer unitfrom said first means while said second electrical component is so heldin said position, and for permitting said removal of said retainer unitwhen said second electrical component is released from said releasablemeans and is remote from said position.
 5. In combination with a relayand a socket mateable with said relay, a mounting device for holdingsaid relay and socket in a mated condition comprising support means,said support means defining an opening, a retainer unit, said retainerunit including opposed walls extending through said opening, each ofsaid walls including an abutment overlapping said support means adjacentone end of said opening, said opposed walls being deflectable inwardlyat said abutments to cause said abutments to be moved away from saidsupport means for permitting separation of said retainer unit from saidsupport means, said retainer unit including means for holding saidsocket adjacent the opposite end of said opening and preventing saidsocket from moving outwardly relative to said support means, said socketincluding abutment means engageable with said support means adajcentsaid opposite end of said opening, said abutment means of said socketincluding oppositely extendiNg flanges projecting outwardly from the endsurfaces of said socket, said flanges of said socket including a firstpair of flanges positiond one on either side of one of said walls andprojecting outwardly therefrom, and a second pair of flanges positionedone on either side of the other of said opposed walls and projectingoutwardly therefrom, for cooperating with said abutments of said wallsfor positioning said socket and retainer unit against substantialmovement relative to said support means, said relay being positionedbetween said opposed walls adjacent said one end of said opening, andreleasable means interconnecting said relay and said opposed walls forholding said relay in said position thereof.
 6. In combination with afirst electrical component mateable with a second electrical component,a mounting arrangement for holding said first and second components in amated condition comprising a first means defining an opening, a retainerunit, said retainer unit including opposed elements extending throughsaid opening, abutment means on said elements engageable with said firstmeans at one end portion of said opening, said first electricalcomponent having an abutment means engageable with said first means atthe opposte end portion of said opening for cooperating with saidfirst-mentioned abutment means in holding said retainer unit to saidfirst means, said retainer unit including means holding said firstelectrical component such that said abutment means thereof is soenageable with said first means, said second electrical component beingin a position where it is mated with said first electrical component,releasable means interconnecting said second electrical component andsaid elements outwardly of said one end portion of said opening forholding said second electrical component in said position, and means forpreventing said releasable means from so interconnecting said secondelectrical component and said elements when said second electricalcomponent is not in said position thereof.
 7. In combination with arelay and a socket mateable with said relay, a mounting device forholding said relay and socket in a mated condition comprising supportmeans, said support means defining an opening, a retainer unit, saidretainer unit including opposed walls extending through said opening,each of said walls including an abutment overlapping said support meansadjacent one end of said opening, said opposed walls being deflectableinwardly at said abutments to cause said abutments to be moved away fromsaid support means for permitting separation of said retainer unit fromsaid support means, said retainer unit including means for holding saidsocket adjacent the opposite end of said opening and preventing saidsocket from moving outwardly relative to said support means, said socketincluding abutment means engageable with said support means adjacentsaid opposite end of said opening, thereby cooperating with saidabutments of said walls for positioning said socket and retainer unitagainst substantial movement relative to said support means, said relaybeing positioned between said opposed walls adjacent said one end ofsaid opening, releasable means interconnecting said relay and saidopposed walls for holding said relay in said position thereof, and stopmeans for permitting said releasable means to so interconnect said relayand said opposed walls only upon a predetermined interengagement of saidrelay and said socket.
 8. In combination with a relay and a socketmateable with said relay, a mounting device for holding said relay andsocket in a mated condition comprising support means, said support meansdefining an opening, a retainer unit, said retainer unit includingopposed walls extending through said opening, each of said wallsincluding an abutment overlapping said support means adjacent one end ofsaid opening, said oppOsed walls being deflectable inwardly at saidabutment to cause said abutments to be moved away from said supportmeans for permitting separation of said retainer unit from said supportmeans, said retainer unit including means for holding said socketadjacent the opposite end of said opening and preventing said socketfrom moving outwardly relative to said support means, said socketincluding abutment means engageable with said support means adjacentsaid opposite end of said opening, thereby cooperating with saidabutments of said walls for positioning said socket and retainer unitagainst substantial movement relative to said support means, said relaybeing positioned between said opposed walls adjacent said one end ofsaid opening, releasable means interconnecting said relay and saidopposed walls for holding said relay in said position thereof, andindicia on said releasable means for indicating when said releasablemeans is in the engaged position interconnecting said relay and saidopposed walls, and when said releasable means is in the releasedposition in which said relay is not connected to said opposed walls. 9.In combination with a relay and a socket mateable with said relay, amounting device for holding said relay and socket in a mated conditioncomprising support means, said support means defining an opening, aretainer unit, said retainer unit including opposed walls extendingthrough said opening, each of said walls including an abutmentoverlapping said support means adjacent one end of said opening, saidopposed walls being deflectable inwardly at said abutments to cause saidabutments to be moved away from said support means for permittingseparation of said retainer unit from said support means, said retainerunit including means for holding said socket adjacent the opposite endof said opening and preventing said socket from moving outwardlyrelative to said support means, said socket including abutment meansengageable with said support means adjacent said opposite end of saidopening, thereby cooperating with said abutments of said walls forpositioning said socket and retainer unit against substantial movementrelative to said support means, said relay being positioned between saidopposed walls adjacent said one end of said opening, and releasablemeans interconnecting said relay and said opposed walls for holding saidrelay in said position thereof, said releasable means including slotmeans in said walls outwardly of said support means, pin means carriedby said relay and engageable with said slot means, and resilient meansbiasing said pin means toward a position in which said pin means isretained in said slot means, said pin means being manually movable inopposition to said resilient means for releasing said pin means fromsaid slot means.
 10. A device as recited in claim 9 in which said slotmeans includes means defining a bayonet slot in each of said opposedwalls, said bayonet slots facing in opposite directions, said pin meansincludes a rotatable member, and a bayonet pin extending outwardly ineither of two opposite directions from said rotatable member, saidbayonet pins being engageable with said opposed walls in said bayonetslots, said rotatable member being rotatable to a position in which saidbayonet pins are remote from said bayonet slots for thereby releasingsaid relay, and said resilient means includes a compression springbiasing said rotatable member in one direction for holding said bayonetpins in said bayonet slots.
 11. A device as recited in claim 10 in whichsaid rotatable member is movable axially for permitting said bayonetpins to so engage said opposed walls at said bayonet slots, saidrotatable member being so movable axially through a limited stroke suchthat said bayonet pins can enter said bayonet slots only upon apredetermined interengagement of saId relay and said socket.
 12. Incombination with a relay and a socket mateable with said relay, amounting device for holding said relay and socket in a mated conditioncomprising support means, said support means defining an opening, aretainer unit, said retainer unit including opposed walls extendingthrough said opening, each of said walls including an abutmentoverlapping said support means adjacent one end of said opening, saidopposed walls being deflectable inwardly at said abutments to cause saidabutments to be moved away from said support means for permittingseparation of said retainer unit from said support means, said retainerunit including means for holding said socket adjacent the opposite endof said opening and preventing said socket from moving outwardlyrelative to said support means, said socket including abutment meansengageable with said support means adjacent said opposite end of saidopening, thereby cooperating with said abutments of said walls forpositioning said socket and retainer unit against substantial movementrelative to said support means, said socket having walls adjacent saidopposed walls, said socket walls being spaced from said opposed wallsfor permitting said opposed walls to be moved inwardly a sufficientdistance to allow said abutments of said opposed walls to pass throughsaid opening for permitting said retainer unit to be attached to andreleased from said support means, said relay being positioned betweensaid opposed walls adjacent said one end of said opening, and releasablemeans interconnecting said relay and said opposed walls for holding saidrelay in said position thereof.
 13. In combination with a relay and asocket mateable with said relay, a mounting device for holding saidrelay and socket in a mated condition comprising support means, saidsupport means defining an opening, a retainer unit, said retainer unitincluding opposed walls extending through said opening, each of saidwalls including an abutment overlapping said support means adjacent oneend of said opening, said opposed walls being deflectable inwardly atsaid abutments to cause said abutments to be moved away from saidsupport means for permitting separation of said retainer unit from saidsupport means, said retainer unit including means for holding saidsocket adjacent the opposite end of said opening and preventing saidsocket from moving outwardly relative to said support means, said socketincluding abutment means engageable with said support means adjacentsaid opposite end of said opening, thereby cooperating with saidabutments of said walls for positioning said socket and retainer unitagainst substantial movement relative to said support means, said relaybeing positioned between said opposed walls adjacent said one end ofsaid opening, releasable means interconnecting said relay and saidopposed walls for holding said relay in said position thereof, andresilient means on said retainer unit engaging said socket and biasingsaid socket toward said support means at said opposite end of saidopening for holding said socket against said relay.
 14. A device asrecited in claim 13 in which said retainer unit includes a duality ofadditional opposed walls, said socket includes a shoulder adjacent eachof said additional opposed walls, and in which said resilient meansincludes a spring member integral with each of said additional opposedwalls, each of said spring members engaging one of said shoulders ofsaid socket.
 15. A device as recited in claim 14 in which each of saidadditional walls is of sheet metal, said spring members being formedfrom said additional opposed walls, and deflectable in the principalplanes of said additional opposed walls.